Walking Wounded
by afanoftvd
Summary: Post 3x18 Murder of One. Damon, Stefan and their friends help each other deal with the physical and emotional consequences of the recent events in their lives. Damon/Stefan/Elena/Caroline/Bonnie/Matt/Alaric. Features some of our favorite pairings.
1. Chapter 1

**Walking Wounded – Inspired by episode 3x18 – Murder of One. **

**Damon, Stefan and their friends deal with the physical and emotional consequences of the recent events in their lives. Damon/Stefan/Elena/Caroline/Bonnie/Matt/Alaric.**

**Chapter 1. Damon, Alaric**

Damon and Alaric began to methodically take apart the loft, checking behind and under furniture, moving shelves, scanning for secret compartments under the floor boards, in the walls and ceilings, even going so far as to look for cut outs in every book. They found a couple of standard stakes and two knives which they lined up on the island bar. They worked deep into the night painstakingly dismantling and reassembly everything in the apartment. They eschewed the usual shots of bourbon preferring to keep their minds and eyes clear for the task at hand. Alaric watched with a frown of concern when Damon seemed to fade much earlier than himself.

"Break." Alaric announced pouring himself more of the putrid tea and Damon a glass of blood. Damon sat heavily on a bar stool and drained the glass with slow and steady satisfaction finally setting it on the counter with a thunk.

"Dragging your butt a bit." Alaric observed.

"Nothing like being bled dry to take a little pep out of your step." Damon smirked. He leaned over and rested his head in his hands. As he moved his sleeves shifted revealing angry red welts in his wrists and hands.

"Never seen this before. Thought you healed instantly." Alaric said with concern.

"Apparently not." Damon shrugged. "These are nothing. If you want to be really impressed check this out." Damon pulled back the collar of his shirt to reveal deep partially healed wounds on his neck.

"Death by a thousand cuts." He deadpanned. "Well, actually lost count around twenty."

Alaric winced. He reached an empathetic hand toward Damon but Damon shied away and pushed himself to a standing position.

"If we don't find that stake this will be nothing." Damon said pointedly.

Alaric returned to the nook he had been clearing out.

"Found another one." He said tossing a midsized blade in Damon's direction anticipating that Damon would snatch it out of the air and place it with the others. Uncharacteristically Damon flinched and moved defensively out of the way causing the blade to clatter onto the floor.

"What the hell Ric!" Damon shouted his eyes wide with shock. "You trying to impale me?"

"Forgot how to catch?" Ric said just as surprised as Damon. Damon gave himself a small shake and picked up the knife placing it on the counter. He continued to stare at it his eyes far away.

Damon was transported back to the grand hall hanging immobile. Rebekah's blade, almost an exact replica of the one sitting on the counter sliced across his chest the searing pain causing him to cry out. The knife moved to his neck severing the artery drawing a much heavier flow of blood. He immediately began to weaken as his blood volume dropped, causing him to slump more heavily into the chains the clamps biting further into his wrists. He let out a tortured gasp no longer having the strength to yell out. As his body attempted to heal the knife sliced again and again keeping the flow going. Damon hunched over the counter gasping in pain the present blurring with the nightmare experience.

Alaric cautiously approached him aware that one false move could easily cause Damon to plunge one of the blades into his own chest.

"Hey Buddy." Alaric said in a crisp clear voice placing a firm but gentle hand on Damon's shoulder. To his relief Damon shrank away from the touch collapsing onto his knees in pain and exhaustion.

"Alaric. What are you doing here? Get out of here!" Damon pleaded in complete confusion his eyes unfocussed.

"Use your eyes Damon. You're at the loft." Alaric commanded. With a strong arm he pulled Damon to his feet and led him to the sofa.

"What was that?" Damon asked finally coming to his senses.

"Flashback I think." Alaric explained. "Unanticipated trigger causes you to relive an unresolved trauma."

"Come on! Vampires don't get traumatized." Damon argued. "We just get even."

"That gonna happen this time?" Alaric asked sceptically.

Damon sank back against the sofa hopelessly.

"We're done for tonight." Alaric said pulling out his phone and calling Stefan.

"We're not done." Damon protested.

"We have to get you out of here." Alaric said with extreme urgency and concern. "I can't trust myself. If I shifted right now you'd be in no shape to handle me."

"Got the stake?" Stefan's voice rang over the phone.

"I need you over here right now and stay on the line. Keep me talking. " Alaric's tone was so intense that Stefan took off immediately not even bothering to ask why.

"Overprotective mother hen." Damon rolled his eyes then lay down on the sofa and passed out completely exhausted.

Less than two minutes later Stefan burst through the door. He went directly to Damon and kneeled beside him noticing the wounds that were beginning to seep blood.

"What happened to him?"Stefan asked extreme pain and concern in his face.

"Hours of torture at the hands of two originals." Alaric said simply.

"He seemed fine earlier." Stefan said confused.

"Apparently not so fine." Alaric said.

"When did these wounds reappear?" Stefan asked studying the deep tracks in Damon's hands and neck.

"Not sure. Think he might have been hiding them. " Alaric said. "Is he back on the vervaine?" Stefan nodded.

"Might need to keep him off it for a few days. Could be interfering with healing." Alaric suggested.

"Okay. I'll take him home." Stefan said about to lift up Damon.

"The Alter came out. He has the stake." Alaric blurted out.

"What?" Stefan asked shocked.

"You need to put me under watch. 24/7. " Alaric said with fear in his eyes. "I'm sleeping in the cell tonight."

**A/N I very much appreciate your feedback especially if you can describe one specific thing that you liked or perhaps didn't like or raised a question for you. It helps me to know if what I am trying to do is actually working.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Walking Wounded – Inspired by episode 3x18 – Murder of One. **

**Damon, Stefan and their friends help each other deal with the physical and emotional consequences of the recent events in their lives. Damon/Stefan/Elena/Caroline/Bonnie/Matt/Alaric.**

**Chapter 2. Damon, Stefan, Alaric, Elena, Caroline, Bonnie, Matt.**

"We're taking your car. You're driving." Stefan directed Alaric with cool precision.

"What if I turn?"

"We'll deal with it." Came the curt reply.

"Wait. You ran here?" Alaric asked Stefan's already turned back but Stefan had forgotten him, his full attention focussed on his brother.

"Damon." Stefan addressed Damon with a gentleness Alaric had not heard since Stefan's early days with Elena. His brother's voice pulled Damon back to consciousness. He sat up awkwardly and stared at Stefan his eyes unfocussed. Stefan pulled Damon to standing and walked him out the door.

Alaric stared into the loft, his eyes taking in the bed, bar, fridge, even the remnants of the shavings on the floor almost as if he would not be seeing any of it again. With a final glance he locked the door and led Stefan to his vehicle. He opened the back door and Stefan smoothly manoeuvred himself and Damon into the back seat.

Stefan had his phone out and was texting even before Alaric inserted the key in the ignition.

"Ready?' He typed.

"Yes." Came the short reply.

"Love notes to Elena?" Damon mumbled struggling to stay awake.

"Something like that." Stefan said, a hint of evasiveness in his tone.

Damon shifted his position uncomfortably not bothering with a comeback. Recognizing that Damon was quickly losing the battle to stay conscious Stefan pulled him toward himself. "Stretch out." He said, the gentleness returning immediately to his voice. "Close your eyes." Damon was asleep before Alaric pulled the car out of its parking slot.

Damon awoke with a start just as they pulled in at the boarding house.

"What are we doing here?" Damon asked pushing himself away from Stefan's shoulder.

"You need a break Damon." Stefan explained.

"We have to go back there and find that stake!" Damon protested desperately.

"No." Stefan and Alaric replied in unison. "You're done for the night."

Damon climbed out of the car under his own volition and slammed the door in protest. "Fine." He said through clenched teeth and stalked toward the house. Before he even reached the door he felt lightheaded and bent over hands on knees to get his bearings. The door opened unexpectedly in front of him revealing a worried Elena flanked by Matt, Caroline and Bonnie. All their faces revealed varied degrees of concern. Elena immediately came to Damon and placed one hand on his ashen face and the other under his elbow helping him to stand.

"What's wrong?" Elena asked her eyes filled with concern.

"Little wrecked." Damon grimaced taking a step forward. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Caroline nudge Matt in the ribs with her elbow.

"Come in guys." Matt said opening the door fully and stepping back to allow them to enter. "Looking rough man." He said taking Damon's other elbow.

"Thank you captain obvious. " Damon said with irritation but didn't refuse the help. When they stepped down into the living room he finally shook his elbows free of Elena and Matt and walked over to the bar. Supporting himself with one hand on the back of the sofa with the other he unstopped the decanter and poured himself a drink. Caroline was immediately at his side taking the glass and replacing it with one filled with blood. Damon glared at her.

"You need this more." She prompted. Damon relented and downed it on the spot. Caroline immediately replaced the glass with a second. Damon moved to the sofa, pulled out a small vial of vervaine and was about to mix a drop in with the blood.

"No vervaine." Stefan said urgently, snatching the vial out of Damon's hand.

"Riiiight." Damon stared at him in utter disbelief and reached for the vial, but when he realized that Stefan was serious his expression changed to one of absolute terror.

"It's not letting you heal." Stefan explained. Damon dropped his hand but the fear remained etched in his face.

The others arranged themselves on the sofas their faces and postures also revealing extreme distress. The three girls sat in one corner huddled protectively together with Matt hovering behind them. Alaric held himself apart, standing at the other end of the sofa, afraid to get too close. Stefan sat beside Damon keeping an eye on his brother while addressing the others.

"We appreciate you coming tonight." Stefan began. "We need the manpower."

"Klaus is not going to wait long for the stakes." Elena said with concern.

"I'll return my stake. See if I can buy us some time." Stefan said.

"This is my fault." Alaric said his expression tormented. "I've put your lives in danger."

"Vampire hating alter ego. Fits the job description." Damon quipped. Alaric's eyes shot daggers at Damon.

"Maybe I should stop taking the tea. Let him come out so you can get the information out of him." Alaric said with desperation.

"Out of the question." Damon retorted instantly. "He's already come out. We just need to be ready when he appears again."

"That's where everyone comes in. " Stefan explained. "One of us needs to be with him at every moment of the day or night."

"I'll take the first shift." Damon said.

"You're dead on your feet." Alaric protested but Damon's expression was so adamant that Alaric relented.

"Who's next? Shall we take one hour shifts?" Caroline asked pulling out pen and paper from her bag. She quickly drew up a schedule and slotted in names as people volunteered.

"I'm taking the cell downstairs." Alaric said leaving no room for protest.

"I can spell it." Bonnie offered. "We can leave the door open. It will be much easier for everyone."

"We also have another problem. It seems that if you take out an original their whole bloodline dies. " Stefan continued.

"What?" Matt asked. "I didn't just kill Finn?"

"Sage and Troy are dead too." Caroline said quietly.

Matt reeled back completely stunned. "How many would that be?"

"Don't know for sure, but many." Stefan said. "Sage turned a lot of people, and how many they might have turned there is no way of knowing."

Matt closed his eyes and leaned back stunned at what he had just learned.

"Which is your bloodline?" Bonnie asked.

"Don't know." Stefan said. "We can only trace it back as far as Rose."

"We should start with the Slater database." Elena said thoughtfully. "He was very meticulous in his documentation." She suddenly yawned involuntarily.

"Sounds like a great project for the morning." Caroline interrupted. "It's been a tough day." Her gaze shifted to the faces of her friends. They all showed the signs of incredible stress.

"I have a few things here." Elena said turning to Bonnie and Caroline. 'We can share."

"Not the sofas." Damon said standing up. Though his face still looked drawn and tired he was much more steady on his feet. "This is a boarding house after all. We have roooooms."He pursed his lips as he wrapped his mouth around the word. "And I have the perfect one for you." He reached out and pulled Elena and Caroline off the sofa.

"Bonnie, you coming?" He shot over his shoulder at a reluctant Bonnie.

"Guest wing." Damon explained leading the girls down a short hallway and using both hands pushed open large double doors to a beautifully appointed and feminine suite. The highlight was a spectacular four poster bed draped with ethereal gauze curtains. Two elegant chaise lounges were arranged in one corner. A doorway led to a full bath finished in white marble.

"Chaises are comfortable but I recommend sharing the bed.." Damon smiled. "Consider it a sleep over."

The girls stood mesmerized for a moment before moving as one toward the bed. They tentatively touched the soft white linens before collapsing onto the bed in momentary bliss.

"Armoire has linens and sleepwear if you need it." Damon explained backing out of the room.

Elena sat up. "Thank you." She mouthed meeting his eyes with a grateful smile as he pulled the doors closed.

**A/N I very much appreciate your feedback especially if you can describe one specific thing that you liked or perhaps didn't like or raised a question for you. It helps me to know if what I am trying to do is actually working.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Walking Wounded – Inspired by episode 3x18 – Murder of One. **

**Damon, Stefan and their friends help each other deal with the physical and emotional consequences of the recent events in their lives. Damon/Stefan/Elena/Caroline/Bonnie/Matt/Alaric.**

**Chapter 3. – Bonnie, Elena, Caroline**

Damon and Alaric's voices drifted up the stairs as Bonnie walked down toward the basement. She stopped at the landing and watched for a moment. Damon stood at the cell door pouring a couple of shots of bourbon and passing one to Alaric.

"You shouldn't be down here. You should be in that palatial room of yours dreaming the dreams of kings." Alaric ribbed him.

"Not the dreams of kings I'm concerned about." Damon winced. "I got some sleep in the car."

"Like three and a half minutes." Alaric argued.

"I don't see you hurrying to settle in for the night." Damon countered. "Afraid of something?"

"Of course not.' Alaric said staring Damon square in the eyes. "You?"

"Nothing." Damon met his gaze.

"Liar." Alaric said.

"Self deluder." Damon shot right back.

On any other day she might have smiled at their banter but the stress in their voices countered any humor in the words. Instead she walked purposefully over to the cell.

"Step back, both of you." She directed. Damon stepped back against the cellar wall and Alaric retreated to the cot. She flung open the door and stepped determinedly into the cell.

"Please don't come in here." Alaric said his eye's fearful.

"Shh." Bonnie ordered. She closed her eyes and chanted quietly under her breath. "Done." She pronounced and stepped out of the room. "You can test it." She said to Alaric.

Alaric walked to the door only to find himself blocked by an invisible wall. He then took a running start and threw himself against it with all his force only to be repelled again landing in a heap on the floor. He looked up at Bonnie with immense gratitude and relief in his eyes. Damon also slid down against the wall finally allowing himself to relax a little. Bonnie walked over to the storage room, retrieved a blood bag and dropped it in Damon's lap.

"Drink that." She said still unsmiling. "And you." She turned to Alaric. "You need to take that thing off."

As she was about to head back upstairs Damon grabbed her hand and stopped her. "Are you okay?" He asked.

"No Damon. I'm not okay. None of us are okay." She said sadly. "Sorry, but I need to head back upstairs." She extricated her hand then hurried up the stairs. As she passed the living room she saw Matt pacing with distress.

"You did well today." Stefan tried to reassure him, putting a hand over his shoulder.

"Don't tell me I did good. " Matt batted Stefan's arm away. "There was nothing good about it. I picked my side. I did my part. But I don't feel like a hero. "

"Neither do I." Stefan nodded with understanding. "But we do what we have to do to keep the people we care about safe."

"Like you kept Damon safe?" Matt challenged him. Stefan's face crumbled momentarily.

"It's the nature of the world we live in." Stefan finally said. "We have to take the risk."

"Risk?" Matt asked incredulous. "If Bonnie hadn't delinked the Originals you would be dead now. I could have killed you all!" He shouted.

"But you didn't." Stefan said weakly.

"Why can't we just let each other live?" Matt asked tiredly.

Stefan opened his mouth to speak then stopped. "I don't know." He finally said.

Bonnie ran down the hall and into the guest room. She leaned against the doors and began to cry silent tears.

"That shower is to die for!" Caroline beamed as she walked out of the bathroom dressed in a thick robe, her hair wrapped in a towel.

"Tub was fantastic." A similarly dressed Elena countered as she pulled extra pillows from the armoire.

The moment they saw Bonnie, they were both instantly at her side.

"Hey. What's wrong?" Elena said gently.

"It's all so messed up." Bonnie said. "I've never seen Damon so wounded. And Alaric is so terrified of what he might do to us he only feels safe in that cell. Matt is coming apart and Stefan doesn't have any answers. I'm scared Elena. I don't know if I can help any of you."

"So we'll take care of you." Elena said gently. "None of us is strong enough to do this alone. That's why we're all here together."

"You're officially retired for the night." Caroline announced cheerily wiping a few tears from Bonnie's cheek. "No more drama or saving people required. Let's just be a couple of teenage girls for a few hours. I'll wash your hair. Elena can do your nails. They each took one of Bonnie's hands and led her into the bathroom.

Caroline placed an armchair by the sink and had Bonnie lean back. As the warm water began to cascade down her hair Bonnie began to cry again, but these tears were not ones of desperate fear but of relief and gratitude. Caroline shampooed and conditioned Bonnie's hair and massaged her temples then wrapped her hair in a soft white towel.

"I filled the tub for you." Elena took Bonnie's hand and led her to the tub filled to the rim with bubbles. "Added some lavender oil. Hope that's okay."

"Smells wonderful." Bonnie thanked her.

"Take as long as you need." Elena said as she and Caroline stepped out of the room.

Bonnie stripped off her clothes and gratefully sank into the bubbles. She let the water wash some of the stress away and chose to trust that for tonight things would be okay. Twenty minutes later she stepped out of the tub and dried off. She rejected the silk pjamas that obviously came with the room in favour of a familiar pair of Elena's flannel PJs. She removed her hair towel and shook her hair out, running her fingers lightly through it. She brushed her teeth with one of the complementary toothbrushes and with her first smile of the day she stepped out of the room.

"Much better." Caroline pronounced with a smile, taking in her tired but much more relaxed expression.

"Come and join us." Elena said, putting the lid on a bottle of nail polish and patting the bed beside her.

Bonnie crawled into the bed between Elena and Caroline. "If you don't mind I think I'll bypass the mani-pedies for tonight."

"Well too bad. This is a mandatory step in the Caroline Forbes guide to recovery." Caroline cajoled her.

Bonnie finally laughed. She propped herself up against the headboard and handed one hand to each of Elena and Caroline. They filed, buffed, massaged and applied moisturizer.

"French or sparkly." Elena asked holding up two bottles of polish.

"Might as well go all the way. Sparkly please." Bonnie smiled.

"So did I see you and Jamie exchanging a couple of looks?" Caroline prodded while Elena applied polish.

"He's like my surrogate brother." Bonnie protested all flustered.

"With piercing blue eyes and strong wood chopping shoulders." Caroline grinned.

"No!" Bonnie batted her shoulder in embarrassment.

"Watch the nails." Caroline warned then grew quiet. "You saved my life today." She said gratefully.

"I did, didn't I?" Bonnie smiled in realization.

"You're one of the good ones." Elena said. "Nature isn't going to let you be used for evil."

Caroline gave Bonnie's hands a final inspection. "Wonderful." She pronounced then looked up at Bonnie. "You're wonderful." she repeated.

"You're going to give me a swelled head." Bonnie said flattered. "Ready to sleep?"

They all nodded in agreement. Caroline flitted about the room turning off lights and drawing the blinds then joined them back on the bed. The lay down, their arms intertwined. Elena flicked off her bedside lamp but in unspoken agreement Caroline left hers on. Just in case.


	4. Chapter 4

**Walking Wounded – Inspired by episode 3x18 – Murder of One.**

**Damon, Stefan and their friends deal with the physical and emotional consequences of the recent events in their lives. Damon/Stefan/Elena/Caroline/Bonnie/Matt/Alaric.**

**Chapter 4. Damon, Stefan**

Damon stood in the girls' room as the first hint of grey began to appear in the black sky. The girls were huddled together in the center of the enormous bed. Bonnie lay in the middle with Elena and Caroline's arms wrapped protectively around her. The incredible torment of the previous night had left her features leaving her looking tired but somewhat peaceful.

Damon felt a cool morning breeze coming through the window. He walked over to the bed and replaced the blanket which the girls had managed to kick off during the night. He turned off Caroline's lamp, the soft click not disturbing her. He moved a stray strand of hair from Elena's face then returned to his post leaning against the doorframe, watching and listening vigilantly.

"How's Alaric?" He asked when Stefan quietly joined him a few moments later.

"Still himself." Stefan reassured him.

"He's not spending the day down there." Damon stated with no room for argument.

"Fine. We'll ask Bonnie to let him out when she wakes up." Stefan noticed Damon's drawn features and exhausted posture. "How long have you been standing here?"

"I can't protect them." Damon whispered through clenched teeth. "If she comes here in a mood I will be next to useless...and you and Ric want me off the vervaine."

"Hey!" Stefan said taking Damon's face in both his hands. "It's not all on you Damon. We have friends. That's why they're here."

"But the house." Damon protested.

"She can't get in." Stefan said pointedly. "I've taken care of it."

"What?" Damon asked confused, then he thought for a moment. "Not the quarterback?" He groaned his eyes huge. "That's what that grand entrance was about last night?"

"What has he ever done to hurt us?" Stefan asked.

"Have to hand it to him." Damon conceded relaxing a bit. "He didn't even milk it for a second."

"You haven't slept at all. Why don't you crash for a few hours?" Stefan placed an arm around Damon's shoulders in an attempt to lead him out of the room. Damon shrugged away from him with a wince.

"Watch the shoulders." He said sharply.

"You're still feeling that?" Stefan asked.

"Yeah." Damon said heading down the hall.

"But it's been hours." Stefan said with concern, as he accompanied Damon to his room.

Damon immediately stripped off his shirt and headed into the bathroom to clean up giving Stefan a clear view of the wounds scattered about his torso. Most were well healed leaving only the faintest ghostly trace, but the ones at his wrists and neck remained raw threatening to break open at the slightest provocation. Stefan closed his eyes and shuddered.

"How are you doing Damon?" Stefan asked following Damon into the bathroom. His expression left no room for evasion or deflection.

"What do you want to hear Stefan?" Damon said just as directly. "She hurt me. I'm not going to be able to just slough this one off."

"I'm sorry. I should have gotten you out of there sooner." Stefan's eyes darkened with regret.

"You did what I wanted." Damon shrugged.

"No I did what I wanted." Stefan said with self-condemnation. "I was just so fixated on my anger I didn't see what it was doing to you."

"You got one of them."

"But none of it is worth it if I put you at jeopardy. Would you have let me go through that?" Stefan pushed the issue.

Damon looked down unwilling to answer.

"Didn't think so." Stefan said bitterly, closing in on himself.

"Don't do that!" Damon gave Stefan an angry shake.

"What?" Stefan asked defensive.

"Take all the guilt on yourself. I can't have you checking out on me and retreating into a world of self-loathing inside your own head. I need you present." Damon's voice was desperate in its sharpness, his expression almost pleading.

"I'm sorry." Stefan said with intense remorse causing Damon to laugh out loud.

"What did I say?" Stefan asked mystified.

"Lesson for another day." Damon patted Stefan's cheek good naturedly. "Now get out. Let me crash."

Damon leaned heavily on the bathroom sink as he listened to the quiet click of the bedroom door closing behind Stefan. The earlier lightheaded feeling accosted him once again. He grabbed the sink, dropped his head and closed his eyes waiting for it to pass. A quiet drip, almost like a leaking tap caused him to finally look up.

"Not now." He sighed as a steady stream of blood flowed from the wounds at his wrists, patterning the sink with rivulets of red.

"Stefan?" he called once, his voice not carrying beyond the walls of the bathroom. Not having the energy to try again, he turned on the tap and ran his hands under the cold water. The water though soothing against his skin did nothing to stem the flow.

He riffled in the cabinet beside the sink and retrieved some large gauze pads. He placed one on his wrist but it soaked through almost immediately. He threw it out with disgust.

"I don't have the energy for this." He breathed in frustration. He finally pulled a large towel off the rack, tore it into broad strips with his teeth and wound them roughly around his wrists and hands, tucking in the ends to keep them in place. He stumbled out of the bathroom to the bed, kicked off his shoes and collapsed onto his back. He wondered whether the blackness closing rapidly around him was due to a lack of sleep or the blood loss but he was unconsciousness before he could finish the thought.


	5. Chapter 5

**Walking Wounded – Inspired by episode 3x18 – Murder of One. **

**Damon, Stefan and their friends deal with the physical and emotional consequences of the recent events in their lives. Damon/Stefan/Elena/Caroline/Bonnie/Matt/Alaric.**

**Chapter 5. Alaric, Matt**

Alaric woke up to the sound of Matt pacing outside his cell. He lay still for a moment his eyes tracking Matt's movements.

"You okay?" Matt asked seeing Alaric's eyes open.

"Yeah. What time is it?" Alaric sat up and ran a hand through his hair.

"Early morning."

"Did I?"Alaric asked with trepidation.

"No. Quiet night." Matt reassured him.

"Calm before the storm." Alaric said with a fatalism that surprised him. He watched as Matt settled himself onto the floor his knees pulled to his chest only to stand up a moment later to resume his pacing.

"How are you holding up?" Alaric asked

"They're people aren't they?" Matt asked

"Yes they are." Alaric agreed.

"I never thought I would kill anybody. And now I find out that I didn't just take Finn out. I killed Sage and everyone else in their bloodline. All those people. How do I ever reconcile myself to that?"

"The rules are different when you get pulled into this world. We do things that would have been inconceivable in our old lives, but we have to find a way to reconcile ourselves to it. You may have saved just as many lives as you've taken."

"But does that justify it? Do I have the right to play executioner?"

"Judge, jury and executioner, that's exactly what it forces us to become." Alaric stared at him intensely.

"I'm in way over my head." Matt literally threw his hands up in the air.

'We all are." Alaric agreed. "The power is immense, the stakes so high and the consequences so potentially devastating. Pressure's on us to choose right."

"Caught Damon and Stefan feeding on some poor girl the other night." Matt interjected.

"Did they kill her?" Alaric asked quietly.

"Don't think so. Damon was feeding her his blood. But if they had I couldn't have done anything about it. And who's to say they won't kill the next one. How do I do the right thing there?" Matt questioned Alaric, his expression bleak.

"They don't want to kill." Alaric said simply.

"How can you be so sure about that?" Matt argued.

"Do you?" Alaric asked with a level stare.

"No." Matt admitted.

"They're more like us than you think. They're just stuck in this untenable position. They're driven to hunt and feed and every time they do there's a chance they might kill. And when they do kill they like it. It makes them hate themselves. They remember who they once were, that they would never have taken pleasure in the kill. You've gotten a glimpse of what it's done to Stefan and Damon. It forces them to make a choice, to give themselves over to the beast or to try to salvage their humanity even while carrying the burden of all those deaths at their hands."

"Like the ones on my hands." Matt said finally understanding. "So where do I begin?"

"Start with those closest to you. When Stefan and Damon began taking care of each other and Elena things began to change for them. "

"So how do I do it?"

"You already have. You gave them an important gift by taking on the house." Alaric smiled.

"In what way?" Matt frowned in confusion.

"You've given them a chance to feel safe in their own home for a few days. They need that if they're going to have the opportunity to heal." Alaric explained.

"We all need it, don't we?" Matt said insightfully.

Alaric nodded. "Our humanity is such a fragile thing. Hang on to it as long as you can. They need a person like you around, if only to give them hope."

"You make it sound like you won't be." Matt looked at Alaric with concern.

"I'm losing it Matt. There's a part of me that is so damaged that he thinks he can make things right by meting out more death. I don't know if I can stop him." Alaric said with genuine fear in his eyes.

**A/N I very much appreciate your feedback especially if you can describe one specific thing that you liked or perhaps didn't like or raised a question for you. It helps me to know if what I am trying to do is actually working.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Walking Wounded – Inspired by episode 3x18 – Murder of One. **

**Damon, Stefan and their friends deal with the physical and emotional consequences of their plot against Finn. Damon/Stefan/Elena/Caroline/Bonnie/Matt/Alaric.**

**Chapter 6. Damon, Stefan**

Damon bolted upright screaming in his own bed, the pain in his side as excruciating and real as when Rebekah first plunged her dagger into his solar plexus. His wrists aflame with fire he ripped off the dressings which felt like steel traps. A small part of his brain recognized his room, with everything in its usual place but the largest part by far was consumed by the torture he was reliving. He still hung crucified, the teeth of the traps that held him immobile cutting to the bone, having pierced through skin, muscles, and blood vessels. The nerves and tendons severed his hands were paralyzed, non- existent, but a searing fiery pain shot up the nerve pathways to his shoulders. Rebekah's furious face consumed his field of vision as she twisted the blade.

"You didn't think I had a thing for you?" He asked and her face changed, the fury replaced by vulnerability and hurt. He had mocked her vulnerability but now the image of her face haunted him, damning and piercing him even more than the physical wounds of the traps and the blades. He screamed again but the face never wavered, the pain in her eyes intense.

Stefan stormed into the room pulling Damon fully into the present. The smell of blood permeated the air but finding no threat he blurred to the bed his focus completely on Damon.

"Nightmare?" Stefan asked sitting beside Damon.

"Nightmare. Flashback." Damon shrugged. "Ask Doctor Headcase downstairs. What time is it?"

"Around noon." Stefan reached out to place a comforting hand on Damon's shoulder but left it suspended in the air. "Want to talk about it?"

"No interested in reliving it again. Thanks." Damon said sharply and brushed Stefan's hand away. A smudge of blood appeared on Stefan's skin.

"You're bleeding." Stefan said with alarm, turning Damon's hands over and studying the wounds that refused to close. A slow but significant stream of blood escaped from each wrist. "When did they open up again?" Stefan asked.

"Before I crashed. At least I didn't ruin the linens." Damon didn't bother to try to smile at his failed attempt at humor. He nodded toward the floor indicating the blood soaked towels that he had used to confine the bleeding. He wrenched his hands from Stefan's grip, snatched the towels off the floor and lurched off the bed, walking on slightly unsteady feet to the bathroom. He tossed the towels in the trash then grabbed another. Tearing it into strips he began wrapping his wrists.

"Let me do that." Stefan said instantly at his side. Damon allowed him to secure the bandages in place wincing as Stefan tightened them.

"If we don't get a handle on this you could bleed out." Stefan said, his face etched with concern.

"Been there. Done that." Damon snorted. He walked over to the bedside table and poured himself two fingers of bourbon, knocking it back in one shot and slamming the glass down on the table. "Almost severed my hands yesterday. So don't be surprised if it takes more than two and half minutes to fully heal." He said impatiently, targeting his frustration at Stefan.

Stefan stood silent his expression absolutely stricken. Damon looked at his brother and his face fell. "Sorry. Graphic play by play wasn't really necessary."

Stefan still remained silent his expression unchanging.

"Hey. Where are you at?" Damon asked in a gentler voice placing his own arm over Stefan's shoulder.

"I'm angry." Stefan said through clenched teeth. "Angry at you for targeting Rebekah of all people and not thinking that she would come after you. At her for piercing you. At Klaus for almost destroying us. At myself for going after Klaus again and again, for letting it all happen."

"Well justified." Damon said matter-of-factly. Stefan felt Damon's arm grow heavier on his shoulder, then Damon suddenly stumbled leaning heavily into him.

"Not looking so good." Stefan said propping Damon up, his anger instantly and completely supplanted by overwhelming concern.

"Feel half dead." Damon quipped as Stefan helped him onto the bed drawing a weary smile from Stefan.

"Will you be okay on your own for a moment? I think I know what you need." At Damon's nod Stefan blurred out of the room and returned momentarily with two blood bags and a couple of tumblers. He ripped open a bag and poured two glasses handing one to Damon. Damon drank deeply and held out the glass for a refill. He studied Stefan carefully as he poured.

"Spill brother." Damon commanded. Stefan settled himself into the wingback chair and spoke.

"Anger is the first thing to come back, you know. It's also the easiest to retreat to. It's easier than fear, or despair or hope or love. It's definitely easier than worrying about you." Stefan said pointedly stabbing his finger at Damon. "I'm trying to stay present. But I feel like I'm barely here, hammering that single note to death." Stefan said with frustration.

"Thought I wouldn't see you again for a few decades." Damon's eyes glinted with momentary grief. " But it's only been months. That's progress." Damon said with relief.

"Speaking of progress, you know you have a household of friends downstairs. Not bad for a man who a few months ago couldn't claim a single friend in the entire world."

"Guess that charm I've been honing for over a century is finally paying off." Damon flashed Stefan and exaggerated grin. Stefan rolled his eyes in mock annoyance but couldn't help breaking out into a smile.

"I rest my case." Damon stated victoriously.

"Can't compete with your charm." Stefan smiled in surrender.

"A toast to progress." Damon grinned raising his glass.

"To progress." Stefan raised his glass as well.

"Glad to have you back. In all your imperfection." Damon said with relief.

"Why do you like my imperfections so much?" Stefan asked

"Because they make you real. Not some holier than thou unattainable saint." Damon said sharply.

"I'm starting to see the wisdom in that." Stefan said cautiously.

"You know you're still everything." Damon stared at Stefan his voice intense.

"Voiced by the brother that I can never allow to die." Stefan said just as intensely.

**A/N I very much appreciate your feedback especially if you can describe one specific thing that you liked or perhaps didn't like or raised a question for you. It helps me to know if what I am trying to do is actually working.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Walking Wounded – Inspired by episode 3x18 – Murder of One. **

**Damon, Stefan and their friends help each other deal with the physical and emotional consequences of the recent events in their lives. Damon/Stefan/Elena/Caroline/Bonnie/Matt/Alaric.**

**Chapter 7. Elena,Caroline,Bonnie,Matt, Alaric.**

"Slater's database is meticulous." Elena said firing up a laptop on the large antique table beside the throne. Bonnie and Caroline looked over her shoulder as she inserted a memory stick and waited for the file to open. Matt and Alaric drifted over with curiosity. The doorbell rang interrupting their meditations.

"Food's up." Caroline chimed.

"I got this." Alaric said heading for the door.

"Coming with you." Caroline said cheerily. Alaric paused, waiting for her. He gave her a sad but grateful smile as they headed toward the door. Caroline opened the door and grabbed the Mystic Grill takeout bags while Alaric peeled off several bills and handed them to the driver.

"Thanks man." He said shutting the door.

"Okay. We've got burgers, curly fries, Caesar salad and pie and ice cream for dessert." Caroline announced as they returned to the living room. Everyone returned to the sofas while Caroline laid out the food on the coffee table.

"Veggie Burger for me please." Elena said

"Trade you beef for chicken." Matt said to Bonnie. A flurry of trades and swaps ensued until everyone settled on their choice.

A piercing cry from upstairs caused everyone to freeze. Bonnie dropped her still wrapped burger and buried her head in her arms, her hands over her ears trying to block out the sound. She rocked back and forth willing it to stop but the cries repeated again and again. The others began running toward the stairs but Caroline stopped them. "It's okay. Stefan's with him." She said listening carefully.

When the cries stopped Bonnie jumped up frantically, tears streaming down her face.

"That's what he sounded like in that house of horrors." She lamented. "And I didn't do anything. I can't stay here. I have to get out of here." She looked around desperately.

"It's okay." Elena said quickly wrapping an arm around Bonnie's shoulders and leading her out the French doors to the courtyard.

"I saw him hanging there and I did nothing. I was so paralyzed with fear I just ran from there. What kind of person does that make me?" Bonnie cried.

"It makes you human." Elena said gently.

"We have to get Jeremy now, before Klaus gets to him." Bonnie said frantically.

"Klaus doesn't work like that. You did what he wanted. He won't waste his leverage unnecessarily. And we're in no shape to do anything right now. We need to stick together, take care of each other."

"I'm so angry with him after Abby, but he didn't deserve that. How do I tell him?"

"He's right upstairs Bonnie. Just go talk to him." Elena prompted gently.

**A/N I very much appreciate your feedback especially if you can describe one specific thing that you liked or perhaps didn't like or raised a question for you. It helps me to know if what I am trying to do is actually working.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Walking Wounded – Inspired by episode 3x18 – Murder of One. **

**Damon, Stefan and their friends help each other deal with the physical and emotional consequences of the recent events in their lives. Damon/Stefan/Elena/Caroline/Bonnie/Matt/Alaric.**

**Chapter 8. – Bonnie, Damon**

Bonnie stepped tentatively into Damon's room carrying a tray laden with food. Finding the room empty she placed it near the pillow then sat down at the foot of the bed wringing her hands nervously.

"Hey Judgy. Whatcha bring me?" Damon asked casually. Dressed in a pair of loose sweats and a short sleeve T shirt he stepped bare foot out of the bathroom towel drying his hair. Crisp white bandages draped his neck and wrists. Moving slower than usual, he walked over and checked out the tray. Bonnie noted his pale face and the dark circles under his eyes.

"Thought you might be hungry. " Bonnie said nervously. "Deluxe burger from the Grill, curly fries, salad and..." She couldn't quite make herself say the word. "I warmed it up for you."

"98.6?" Damon teased picking up the oversize mug and draining it with gratitude.

"And extra pickles." Bonnie said flustered. "Elena said you like pickles."

"Thank you." Damon said with a direct, sincere gaze which he seemed to reserve only for her. "Did you get a chance to eat? There's enough here for both of us." Damon glanced at the knife on the tray closed his eyes and shuddered for the barest of a split second. He picked up the burger and deftly tore it in two passing half to Bonnie. Bonnie watched him curiously as she accepted her half.

"Pickle?" Bonnie asked picking out a piece from her burger.

Damon snatched it out of her hand before she could finish the word. He shifted the tray between them and also sat on the bed. They ate in awkward silence, not quite able to meet each other's gaze.

"Hear Abby bolted." Damon said offering Bonnie the last fry. Bonnie just ignored it.

"I hate you for what you did to Abby." Bonnie's words tripped over each other in her distress. "I shouldn't have left you hanging there...but I couldn't."

"You can only do what you can do." Damon said matter of factly.

"You must think I..." Bonnie gave Damon a remorseful look.

"I'm not judging." Damon interrupted her.

"Killed anyone lately?' Bonnie asked pointedly.

"Not in months." Damon began then stopped himself. "There was that mediocre pianist. Wrong place, wrong time. Got caught in a ménage a trois with Sage and Rebekah." He admitted with a guilty smile.

"I'm not judging." Bonnie said looking at him squarely. Damon nodded. He picked up the empty tray and moved it back to the bedside table. He rolled his shoulders painfully then rubbed his right shoulder with a groan in a futile attempt to relieve the pain.

"Let me take a look at that." Bonnie said.

"Just a souvenir from yesterday." Damon said almost clinically. "After a few hours the shoulder joints eventually give out.

"I remember." Bonnie said, her face full of anguish. "How much pain are you in?"

"Body did its thing, put itself back together. Everything seems to be functioning." Damon said flatly.

"How much pain are you in?" Bonnie repeated.

"You really want to know." Damon's voice grew harsh. "If I close my eyes I'm still hanging there. My arms are on fire. I want to rip them off and scream and never stop, but I know it won't do any good." Damon's voice fell to an exhausted whisper. "So instead I steal pickles from your burger."

"Lie back. Let me look." Bonnie ordered.

"Aye, Aye Captain Bossy Pants." Damon smirked, but he propped a couple of pillows against the headboard and leaned back stretching his legs along the bed. Bonnie stood beside him and placed her hands on his shoulders.

"What are you doing?" Damon asked a little sceptical.

"If I can pick out a single blood vessel in your brain and give you an aneurism, think I can't figure out what's going on here? Close your eyes. Breathe." Bonnie commanded.

Damon complied reluctantly. Bonnie closed her eyes as well. A gentle warmth radiated from her hands almost a hum. The glowing warmth blossomed in Damon's shoulders encompassing and changing the fire then cascaded like a rippling waterfall down his arms to his fingertips and back again.

"Your hands are warm." Damon sighed in surprised contentment. "So warm." The warmth slowly dissipated replaced by such exquisite relief that tears escaped his still closed eyes.

They opened their eyes in unison. Bonnie gave Damon a pleased smile. Damon held Bonnie's gaze his eyes filled with gratitude.

"Let's chuck all this. You could open a clinic. I'll be your business manager. Bring you clients from all over the world. Better yet we'll bottle it and make a quick million on the shopping channel." Damon blurted out earnestly.

"Your dressings need changing." Bonnie said shaking her head in amusement.

"Don't want to get blood on the sheets." Damon sat up quickly but fell back against the pillows. "Wo. Head rush."

"Relax. I'll get the dressings." Bonnie said heading for the bathroom. She puttered around for a moment then stuck her head out. "Blood loss is pretty heavy. How long has this been going on?"

"Most of the day." Damon answered

"No wonder you're wiped out. How was the flow earlier? Same as now?"

"Worse. Destroyed a couple of my best Turkish towels." Damon griped.

"Why do you even care about that stuff?" Bonnie asked, returning with fresh dressings.

"Turkish towels, pickles, bad jokes." Damon shrugged. "Simple pleasures you can focus on when life is in chaos."

Bonnie cocked her head and looked at Damon curiously. "Sometimes you're wiser than you look." She said reluctantly.

"That's a half assed complement." Damon snorted.

"I'd take what I can get if I were you." Bonnie teased.

"Why don't you do you're witchy hand magic and make this stop?" Damon asked waving his hands in the air.

"You're body's not ready. Can't push it too far." Bonnie explained as she changed the dressings.

"I'm a vampire Bonnie." Damon said impatiently. "That's all we do is push."

Bonnie just looked at him disapprovingly. Damon rolled his eyes.

"I know. I know. Balance." He hissed as if it was a bad word.

"Done." Bonnie said collecting the used dressings and heading back to the bathroom. "Why don't you get some more sleep."

"Do I look like I want to sleep?" Damon protested sitting up and swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. He began to stand up but thinking twice he rested his elbows on his knees, head in his hands.

"You look like every single cell in your body is screaming for sleep."

"Not really prepared to go there right now." Damon admitted.

"I've been there, more than once." Bonnie said with understanding. "When something keeps coming back at you like that there's usually a message in it."

"Rather leave the education of Damon for another day." Damon retorted but sank back against the pillows obviously exhausted.

"I'll get out of your hair." Bonnie said quietly picking up the tray and heading for the door.

"Thanks." Damon said to her retreating figure.

"Welcome." Bonnie replied over her shoulder. "And no more pianists. I don't care how bad their music is."

"Judgy." Damon whispered under his breath with a tired smile.

**A/N I very much appreciate your feedback especially if you can describe one specific thing that you liked or perhaps didn't like or raised a question for you. It helps me to know if what I am trying to do is actually working.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Walking Wounded – Inspired by episode 3x18 – Murder of One. **

**Damon, Stefan and their friends help each other deal with the physical and emotional consequences of the recent events in their lives. Damon/Stefan/Elena/Caroline/Bonnie/Matt/Alaric.**

**CHAPTER 9. STEFAN, ELENA**

Elena stood in the courtyard, deep in thought, looking over the grounds as the early afternoon sun gleamed on the cobblestones. She gave herself a hug, wrapping her arms around herself to ward off the chill of the breeze. Stefan walked quietly behind her and placed her jacket over her shoulders. Elena caught her breath then began to cry tears of quiet grief.

"Elena?" Stefan asked wrapping his arms around her from behind in an attempt to comfort her.

"Thank you for the jacket Stefan." Elena said intensely her tears growing heavier.

"It's just a coat."Stefan said, baffled at the intensity of her response.

"I hadn't realized how much I missed this." Elena said. "It's been months since you did anything like this."

"Like what?" Stefan asked still confused.

"Noticed I was cold. Brought me a jacket."

"I would do that?"

"You'd do it every day, many times a day, in all kinds of ways. And not just for me. A door, a coat, and countless dropped pencils and notebooks at school. And I don't know how many times you fixed a drink for your brother before you poured one for yourself."

"I don't remember doing any of that." Stefan said perturbed.

"You wouldn't. It wasn't a conscious act. It was just your nature." Elena explained.

"I'm on human blood." Stefan interjected.

"That's not necessarily a bad thing." Elena said cautiously.

"Never thought this could happen." Stefan said somewhat taken aback.

"What?" Elena asked.

"Be on human blood and still be the way I want to be. Damon described it as a Jekyll and Hyde feeling once, but for me it was all Hyde, all the time. No control, driven by instinct and anger."

"It's not just you Stefan. It's all of us. It's like we're the walking wounded." Elena said. "Stumbling around, barely surviving, so traumatized we don't know where we're going or what we're doing."

"Casualties of war." Stefan grew pensive. "This war is my fault. I didn't have the presence of mind to choose another way and I've pulled you all into it. And now I've drawn Matt into this. I hate what it's doing to him having all those deaths on his hands. I feel so much guilt at the pain and death I've brought to you and everyone in this house. I'm trying not to be consumed by it or just turn it all off, but I can barely stay present. "

"You can't blame yourself for everything Stefan." Elena insisted, looking him squarely in the eyes.

Stefan looked away. "You know, Damon and I agreed that I would be the one to turn Abby, but he did it anyway. He was trying to spare me some guilt."

"He did that?" Elena asked in shock.

"Yeah. What he doesn't realize is that all he did was double it. It's just one more thing he's taken the blame for on account of me." Stefan said bitterly.

"He's a grown man Stefan. He can make his own choices." Elena chastised him. "You need to accept this as the gift it was meant to be."

Stefan smiled reluctantly. "You are the best thing in my life but sometimes I wish I hadn't pulled you into this."

"There are things at work here that are beyond our control." Elena argued. "I'm the doppleganger Stefan. Michael came after me when I was three years old. It was inevitable that I would be drawn into this world. This isn't your doing."

"But," Stefan began.

Elena silenced him her expression compassionate. "I know we have had some horrific experiences. You're not just the perpetrator Stefan. You're a victim too."

"But that doesn't justify what I did." Stefan said with self-recrimination.

Elena placed a gentle hand on his face. "You've kept us alive and you've given my life meaning Stefan at times when I thought I had nothing to live for."

'How so?" He asked disbelieving.

"You gave me love when I needed it the most. I don't believe you're driven by anger." Elena raised her voice to get the point across."I think you're driven by love." Stefan looked away not quite believing her, but his shoulders relaxed a little. They stood quietly for a long minute.

"You haven't eaten." Stefan finally said. "Come in with me." Elena allowed him to lead her into the living room and settle her onto the sofa.

"Hang tight." Stefan disappeared for a moment returning with a tray of food and placing it on the coffee table in front of her. "Veggie burger, right? I heated it up for you."

"These are great." Elena smiled grabbing the burger and taking a big bite. She waved at the fries indicating that Stefan should take some. Stefan took one and bit into it thoughtfully.

"Try the burger." Elena said offering him a bite.

"Isn't that kind of like me on animal blood?" Stefan asked skeptically.

"A poor substitute for the real thing?" Elena asked. "Nah. A good veggie burger is delicious in its own right. Try it."

Stefan accepted the burger and took a bite. "Good." He said with surprise and took a second bite.

"Hey! Leave some for me." Elena laughed snatching the burger back. They continued to eat enjoying each other with a contentment which had been missing for a very long time.

"Ready for dessert? Pie and ice cream?" Stefan asked.

"Just ice cream please." Elena smiled. Stefan collected the empty tray and left again.

"What's this?" Elena asked when he returned with an elaborate concoction in a sundae cup.

"Chocolate sundae, fifties drug store counter style." Stefan explained.

"Two spoons?" Elena queried.

"Tastes better when you share." Stefan grinned, feeding her the first spoonful. They both dug in, laughing when they couldn't quite manage to catch all the drips. They smiled at each other happily enjoying the sweetness of the ice cream and the lightness of the moment.

"You did it again." Elena said accepting the last spoonful from Stefan.

Stefan looked at her questioningly.

"Noticed a need." She said simply eking a surprised smile from Stefan.

Elena put the ice cream cup down and began to cry again. Stefan wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. "Hey, what's wrong?" He asked tenderly.

"I miss you Stefan." Elena said gripping him closer.

"I miss myself too." Stefan said sadly. They clutched each other tightly afraid to lose the closeness that had eluded them for so long.

Hearing footsteps in the stairwell Stefan eventually looked up. "Bonnie?" He called. Bonnie paused at the entrance to the living room an empty tray in hand.

"How's he doing?" Stefan asked.

"He's asleep, but it's going to be rough. He should have someone with him." She said before heading down the hall.

Stefan and Elena looked at each other. "You go." He said. "He needs you right now."

Elena squeezed Stefan's hand and stood up. "Thanks for the meal." She smiled. "And for being here."

**A/N I very much appreciate your feedback especially if you can describe one specific thing that you liked or perhaps didn't like or raised a question for you. It helps me to know if what I am trying to do is actually working.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Walking Wounded – Inspired by episode 3x18 – Murder of One. **

**Damon, Stefan and their friends help each other deal with the physical and emotional consequences of the recent events in their lives. Damon/Stefan/Elena/Caroline/Bonnie/Matt/Alaric.**

**CHAPTER 10. DAMON, ELENA**

Elena sat by Damon for over an hour watching him sleep. For a long while he lay immobile, exhausted, the dark circles under his eyes pronounced against his pale skin. He began to toss and turn becoming more and more agitated finally crying out in pain and calling her name.

"I'm here Damon." Elena said taking his hand.

"Get out of here Elena." He cried out in distress, his eyes still closed. "She'll kill you."

"I'm here Damon. I'm not going anywhere." Elena repeated.

Damon's eyes finally flickered open. "Elena." He said with immense relief his voice raspy.

"Shh. Don't try to talk" Elena said handing him a mug. "You need to drink this."

Damon propped himself up on one elbow and accepted the mug. Elena supported him with one hand behind his shoulder as he drank. The blood vessels under his eyes became fully engorged as he drank, evidence of his extreme hunger. Elena refilled the mug and offered it to him again. He drained it and returned it to Elena. When she offered him a third he shook his head 'no' and sank back against the pillows.

"Caroline says you're not drinking enough. You need a lot more than usual to just replace the blood you lost. She brought this up a little while ago." She said indicating the large teapot. "And made sure it would stay warm for you."

"Not quite feeling the floral tea cozy and napkins." Damon frowned.

"It's Caroline. What do you expect?" Elena smiled offering the mug again. "She said you need to finish this whole pot."

Damon sat up against the head board and accepted the cup. He quickly drained a couple more mugs.

"Good to the last drop." He said with a forced smile then handed the mug back to Elena.

"You okay?" Elena asked.

"Was having the best dream." Damon said with a cheerful voice, but his eyes teared up as if he was grieving a loss.

"Didn't sound like it to me. " Elena looked at him skeptically.

"I dreamt that you rescued me." Damon grinned. "Could write a novel, it was so perfect."

"Tell me about it." Elena said her voice kind.

"You freed me from the traps. You supported my weight when I could barely walk. You fed me your blood when I was out of strength. And of course we kissed. It was epic." Damon smiled but the smile quickly faded.

"Why so sad?" Elena asked sympathetically.

"I'm the proverbial man who drank in his sleep, but in the morning he awoke and thirsted still." Damon explained with a melancholy tone.

Elena's features softened with empathy as she read the longing in Damon's face. She rolled up her sleeve and offered him her arm.

"I'm here now." She said softly. Damon looked at her his brow furrowed not comprehending at first, then when he realized what she was offering his expression changed to one of intense gratitude and humility.

"I don't really need it Elena." Damon protested in surprise.

"I think you do." Elena coaxed him tenderly. She gave Damon such a look of love that he couldn't help but accept it. The veins under Damon's eyes barely registered as he bit as this was not an act of hunger or lust but the receipt of a gift. Their eyes never left each other as he drank making the moment poignant, intimate.

"I'm not going to ask you to kiss me." Damon said when he released her wrist. "It wouldn't be fair right now." He pulled Elena close to him, wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on her head.

"Thank you for not pushing." Elena said gratefully.

Damon looked at her intensely. "I can't afford to do anything to lose you or Stefan, especially now that he is just beginning to regain possession of himself."

"You won't lose us Damon." Elena reassured him covering his hands with her own.

"If I lose him it will all be for nothing. I learned that much this year." Damon fell quiet for a moment, then began to sob, agonized full body sobs.

"Hey. What's wrong?" Elena asked. She turned around and pulled Damon into a hug holding him close. He sank into her his head on her shoulder as he continued to cry with an anguish that Elena could barely comprehend. Damon finally pulled back and looked at Elena.

"It was bad Elena." Damon said his voice measured, controlled in contrast to his tormented expression. "The pain was like nothing I've ever felt before, but worse than that was the fear. You know what he did to Stefan." He stopped for a moment. "I can't be that." He said desperately.

Elena reached out a hand and placed it on his cheek in a wordless expression of support, her eyes never leaving Damon's, her expression mirroring the pain in his.

"She would cut and cut then leave me hanging for hours. I couldn't be there. I had to go somewhere safe, disappear inside my own head. You were it Elena. You were my safe place." Damon placed a hand on Elena's cheek as well, his countenance softening, calming as he revelled in the comfort of her presence. They eventually lowered their hands and Damon gave Elena a small relieved smile.

"You're looking better." Elena said lightly touching the hollows under his eyes. The dark circles were much less pronounced. "You hungry? Want some more to drink?" Elena asked.

"Don't let Stefan hear you shoving blood down my throat." Damon flashed her an ironic smile. "Or he'll go out and get himself tortured just so he can have an unlimited supply of guilt free blood."

"I heard that." Stefan's voice called from the hallway. Stefan toed open the door and walked in carrying another tray. "Don't worry I didn't pilfer any." He said with mock annoyance.

"Sun and moon tea cozy." Damon rolled his eyes.

"Caroline's orders. You have to finish this off. Or you're not allowed to take a step downstairs."

"Who died and made her queen?" Damon asked. "Wait! Don't answer that."

Stefan unceremoniously laid the tray on the bedside table grabbed the empties and left with an amused. "I'll leave you to it."

Damon climbed out of the bed and poured himself another cup of blood. "Mind sticking around while I clean up?" He asked Elena as he headed into the bathroom.

"Go ahead. Take your time." Elena said casually. She stretched out on the bed her hands behind her head.

"Feel free to take the bed." Damon's teasing voice carried from the bathroom just as the shower turned on.

Elena got up when she heard the water turn off and poured another cup. When a freshly washed up Damon stepped out of the bathroom a towel wrapped around his waist she was ready for him, placing the cup in his hand.

"I'll help you with those." Elena indicated the dressings. Damon drank while she retrieved the supplies from the bathroom.

"Where shall we do this?" Elena asked.

Damon took a seat in the wing back chair by the bed. "I'm all yours." He teased with a characteristic smirk but the sexual innuendo was wholly absent from his eyes. He relaxed back in the chair closing his eyes as Elena worked on the dressings. She paused for a moment, taking in his form. His facade of bravura gone his inner strength and vulnerability were much easier to see, a majesty that surpassed the beauty of his physical body alone. Damon opened his eyes at the unexpected stillness.

"Something wrong?" He asked searching Elena's eyes.

"You really are beautiful." Elena said. The sincerity in her expression capturing his gaze with an indescribable warmth.

"What happened to sexy, studly and irresistible?" Damon asked when the intensity of the look finally became too much for him.

Elena frowned good naturedly. "Don't push it." She warned and began working on the other wrist. Damon rotated his hands and massaged his wrists, testing the new bandages.

"Too tight?" Elena asked.

"No. Good job, feels secure." Damon got up and headed over to the dresser. He unceremoniously pulled on a pair of boxer briefs before tossing the towel aside. Frowning he touched his neck with his fingertips and discovering a little blood headed back into the bathroom. He pulled out the first aid supplies and dressed the wound himself.

"How's the neck?" Elena asked when he returned.

"Not nearly as bad as the wrists." Damon took a swig from the cup and rolled his shoulders feeling the muscles relax.

"Sore?"

"Surprisingly not." Damon smiled. "Bonnie did her thing earlier." He explained flickering his hands with a quirky grin. He finished off the cup and poured another then headed back to the closet. He pulled on jeans and a crew neck shirt that effectively hid any sign of the bandage on his neck. He finished the final cup of blood and slipped on socks and his favorite pair of motorcycle boots.

"Can't believe how well this is working." He said draining the cup."Feel almost human again." They both laughed at the incongruity of that statement. Damon retrieved a pair of fingerless leather gloves from a drawer and pulled them on over the bandages.

"You don't have to hide your injuries." Elena said giving him a look of compassion.

"Don't need to make it obvious either. Draws too much attention." Damon said simply.

Elena looked at him strangely. "Since when did you shy away from attention?"

"There's attention and then there's attention." Damon explained with a grin. He threw an arm around Elena's shoulders and guided her toward the door. Elena instantly noticed a change in Damon. He stood a little taller and a slight swagger entered his walk.

"How many switches do you have?" Elena asked.

Damon looked at her perplexed.

"You just turned something on." Elena studied him carefully.

"Perceptive." Damon said impressed. "Open and vulnerable one moment, cocky and charming the next?" His expression took on each characteristic as he named it. Elena nodded at his forthright self-assessment.

"I'm a multifaceted individual." Damon preened causing Elena to laugh.

"Now enough with the character study. I'm much more interested in bloodlines." Damon said his tone businesslike. He waved one hand forward leading her out of the room.

**A/N I very much appreciate your feedback especially if you can describe one specific thing that you liked or perhaps didn't like or raised a question for you. It helps me to know if what I am trying to do is actually working.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Walking Wounded – Inspired by episode 3x18 – Murder of One. **

**Damon, Stefan and their friends help each other deal with the physical and emotional consequences of the recent events in their lives. Damon/Stefan/Elena/Caroline/Bonnie/Matt/Alaric.**

**CHAPTER 11. DAMON, ALARIC**

Caroline manned the laptop with the others hovering around her. "Seems like a standard relational database with a few customizations." Caroline said thoughtfully.

"How do you know all this stuff?" Matt asked impressed.

"Years of event planning. Pick up a few things here and there." Caroline shrugged. "Profiles are organized alphabetically. Here we go...Salvatore."

"What does it say about me?" Damon interjected walking into the room with Elena, his arm still around her shoulder.

"It's not always about you." Caroline snipped.

"If I'm going to be featured on IVDB, I'd better make sure that at least the photos are hot."

"You're no movie star." Caroline countered then returned to her work. "Okay. Stefan Salvatore. Born Mystic Falls 1847. Descent Italian. Father Giuseppe Salvatore. Know residences Mystic Falls 1864, 1957, 2009, Monterey 1917, Chicago 1922, New York, Rome. Turned 1864 by Katherine Pierce nee Katerina Petrova. There's a hyperlink." Caroline clicked on the link bringing up Katherine's profile and scanned it quickly. "Turned by Rose. Hmm. No hyperlink to Rose. Perhaps there are some genealogical charts." Caroline began scrolling through the menus.

Alaric quietly stepped away from the group and sat on the sofa closing his eyes momentarily. Instantly sensing a change Damon followed him. "Ric?" he asked.

Alaric opened his eyes and gave Damon a look of utter hatred.

"What's your name?" Damon asked sharply the others now congregated tightly around him. Alaric smiled the hate in his eyes making his expression grotesque.

"Where's the stake?" Damon ordered.

Alaric spit in Damon's face with the force of all his revulsion.

Damon grabbed Alaric by the shoulders. "Your days are numbered!" He snarled." You do not get to highjack my friend!"

Alaric blinked once and looked at Damon's face in horror. "Take me downstairs. Now!" He pleaded.

Stefan and Caroline pulled Alaric off the sofa and led him out of the room. Alaric took a couple of steps then grabbed the nearest lamp and swung it viciously breaking it against Caroline's back. He fought maniacally when Stefan dragged him downstairs and shoved him into the cell. A roar of defiance reverberated throughout the house.

Damon backed up and stormed out through the French doors. He wiped his face roughly with his sleeve and furiously shoved his foot into one of the planters shattering it into pieces. He picked up the fragments and flung them across the yard then moved on to the next planter, breaking, destroying , his face a mask of agony.

It was dark when Damon returned to the house. He sat at the top of the stairs leading to the cellar listening. After hours of silence the Alter had finally begun talking.

"We will get it out of you." Stefan said his tone menacing.

"You won't hurt me because if you do you will hurt him." The Alter said with cold confidence.

"I know you." Stefan said just as coolly."I know how you think. And you won't win. Where's the stake?" He asked again.

"I have all the time in the world, while you are rapidly running out of time. You've already lost. You just won't admit it to yourselves. Hear that Damon?" He yelled upstairs. "You lose. He's gone. You'll never see him again."

Damon punched the wall in desperate fury then blurred down the stairs and into the cell slamming Alaric's body into the wall.

"Ric!" He yelled in painful desperation.

"Ow! Damon?" Alaric said wincing at the pain where his shoulders made contact with the wall. Damon dropped his hands in relief and collapsed onto his knees in emotional exhaustion.

"How long have I been gone?" Alaric asked seeing Damon's distress.

"Hours." Stefan said dispassionately, but his eyes reflected the sadness in Damon's.

"Get anything?" Alaric asked. Stefan shook his head a regretful "No".

Alaric slid to the floor beside Damon. He placed his hands in his head and for the first time since the disappearance of his wife he cried silent tears.

Alaric finally looked up at Damon and observed the dark circles that had reappeared beneath his eyes. "Do something for me?"

Damon nodded, his face drawn and tired.

"I need you to go upstairs and get some rest."

"Right." Damon said in complete disbelief.

"You can't help me like this. I need you strong." Alaric said forcefully. Damon just looked at him unwilling to move.

"He's not coming back. Not for a while." Alaric sighed.

"How do you know?" Damon asked suspiciously.

"I do." Was Alaric's quiet reply. "Now get out of here. I need to sleep too. I can deal with him better when I am well rested." Damon finally stood up and headed out of the cell. Alaric clasped Damon's arm and pulled him around.

"I will see you in the morning." Alaric emphasized the 'I' with such intensity that Damon could do nothing but nod.

**A/N I very much appreciate your feedback especially if you can describe one specific thing that you liked or perhaps didn't like or raised a question for you. It helps me to know if what I am trying to do is actually working.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Walking Wounded – Inspired by episode 3x18 – Murder of One. **

**Damon, Stefan and their friends help each other deal with the physical and emotional consequences of the recent events in their lives. Damon/Stefan/Elena/Caroline/Bonnie/Matt/Alaric.**

**Chapter 12. Damon**

Damon awoke screaming the nightmare an exact replica of the one of the previous afternoon. Rebekah's wounded, vulnerable face continued to haunt him. Once again Stefan stormed into the room, his fear and concern as intense and raw as the first time.

"How can I help you?" Stefan asked desperately.

"You think this is your fault, but it's not." Damon said pushing himself out of the bed. He returned to the bathroom and began to change the dressings on his stubborn wounds. Stefan followed him and once again he allowed Stefan to dress the wounds. Damon walked to his closet, pulled on a sweater and jeans and slipped on some shoes.

"I need some air." He said, heading for the door.

"It's 3am." Stefan protested and began to follow Damon.

"Alone." Damon said his haunted blue eyes giving Stefan a look that stopped him in his tracks. Damon grabbed his jacket off the chair back and retrieved his keys, jangling them in his hand as he headed for the front door. Elena's head popped out of the door down the hall, concern written all over her face.

"It's okay. Go back to sleep." Damon said quietly doing his best to smooth his features. Elena looked at him skeptically, but reluctantly complied, retreating back into the room. Damon opened the door then reconsidered and headed for the cellar instead. He tapped Matt's shoulder and signaled that they should switch positions. Matt nodded silently, stood up and headed upstairs. Damon leaned against the wall and slid down to a sitting position.

"Hey." Alaric said quietly, his eyes still closed.

"You're awake?" Damon asked somewhat surprised.

"You rocked the foundations with that concert of yours." Alaric said sitting up. "Rough night?"

"Pathetic." Damon spat out angrily. "Can't shake it."

"Been there." Alaric said, painful memories written plainly on his face.

"Bet I had something to do with that." Damon said in his usual taunting tone but his eyes flickered with regret.

"Seeing you there feeding on her. I was paralyzed with terror. I wanted to charge at you, stop you. Just scream. But I was trapped immobile. Then you left and I had done nothing." Alaric's voice was full of raw emotion.

"I dreamt about it every night. Sometimes you would turn and kill me too. Sometimes you would leave her dead at my feet. Sometimes you would just disappear. But every time I would scream. Every night I'd wake up screaming. But then I'd realize I hadn't screamed when it counted." Alaric said with self-recrimination.

"Is that still happening?" Damon eyes indicated he didn't really want to know the answer.

"No. Not for a long time." Alaric said more calmly.

"What changed?" Damon asked.

"I tried to kill you." Alaric laughed. "You know how that went."

"You failed. How could that help?" Damon asked not comprehending.

"That's just the point. I figured out I had no power over you. I could never get the revenge I thought I needed so desperately. So I had to let it go." Alaric said, his expression earnest. "Then I got to know you and..."

"And I was soooo much fun to be around that all was forgiven." Damon said sarcastically.

Alaric laughed wholeheartedly.

"I never apologized for that." Damon interrupted him, his voice intense.

"That's the great thing about forgiveness. It works one way."

"Is this in the vein of 'some people won't take responsibility for their crimes'?" Damon asked suspiciously.

"I'm not at the Sheriff's am I?" Alaric countered.

"Glad you're here." Damon said simply, but the three simple words conveyed a world of meaning. Damon's face revealed his gratitude that Alaric hadn't abandoned them to hide himself away at the Sheriff's office, but most of all it revealed Damon's intense relief that for the moment Alaric was still himself and that Damon had not yet lost him.

"So am I." Alaric finally said. "Mind if I get some sleep?"

"Sure." Damon said pursing his lips. He cocked his head looking at Alaric curiously as he listened to Alaric's breathing deepen. Damon's expression grew more pensive, his mind dissecting Alaric's words. He was so deep in thought that he was momentarily startled when Stefan placed a hand on his shoulder.

Stefan looked at Damon with compassion. "Losing your edge brother?" He teased goodnaturedly.

"My mind, my edge, my friend." Damon spat out with frustration.

"Thought you were taking off." Stefan said.

"Temporary detour. I'll be home before curfew." Damon teased, causing Stefan to finally smile.

"Take care of yourself." Stefan called as Damon climbed the stairs.

A short while later Damon found himself leaning a little unsteadily in the doorway of the Mikaelson Mansion. He was about to reach for the door bell when the door opened from inside.

"Damon?" Rebekah asked her features revealing complete shock before she masked them. "Back so soon? I presume you are ready for another round." She taunted. "I just put everything away but it will only take me a moment to retrieve it from the shed. Wait right here." She began to turn away from Damon.

"I'm sorry." Damon said, his voice quiet, remorseful. Rebekah turned back and stared at him all pretense of defensiveness erased.

"How do I know you're not just upping the ante again, taking it to the next level?" She asked cautiously.

"There is no next level. I'm finished." Damon said with a tired voice.

"So what happened to mean?" Rebekah asked.

"You bled it out of me." Damon admitted attempting an ironic smile but failing completely."What I did to you. What I said." Damon stumbled over the words, not quite able to explain himself, but his eyes told the truth in an absolutely compelling way. Rebekah could not pull her eyes away from his, the pain in his eyes acknowledging the pain in hers. Then slowly the pain lifted replaced by something younger, more innocent, grateful.

Sensing something off Rebekah looked down at Damon's hands encased in thick motorcycle gloves. "You're still bleeding. " She said, her face questioning.

Damon nodded, finally finding his trademark smile. "You did a real number on me."

"It could have been much different." Rebekah said regretfully tears beginning to form in her eyes.

"It could have."Damon agreed.

Rebecca pulled herself back together. "You're looking a little green around the gills. Go home. Take care of yourself." Rebecca directed then shut the door.

Rebekah turned around wiping a tear from her cheek to see a sleep tousled Klaus walking down the staircase.

"Was that Damon Salvatore I heard?" Klaus asked mystified.

"Come to apologize." Rebekah flashed a genuinely pleased smile at her brother.

"I'll never understand those Salvatores." Klaus shrugged running a hand through his hair and heading back up the stairs.

**A/N Two chapters for today! Final chapter to come tomorrow.**

**A/N I very much appreciate your feedback especially if you can describe one specific thing that you liked or perhaps didn't like or raised a question for you. It helps me to know if what I am trying to do is actually working.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Walking Wounded – Inspired by episode 3x18 – Murder of One. **

**Damon, Stefan and their friends help each other deal with the physical and emotional consequences of the recent events in their lives. Damon/Stefan/Elena/Caroline/Bonnie/Matt/Alaric.**

CHAPTER 13. Damon, Alaric, Caroline, Bonnie, Matt, Stefan, Elena

Damon sat in his convertible, the top down and watched the sky over Stevens Quarry change colour from deep violet through lavender and finally to golden pink as the rays of the sun bled over the horizon, the clouds painted a myriad of shades in a constantly changing pallet. Damon waited until the sun fully appeared then gunned the engine and sped home. He pulled over in the driveway and jumped out of the car not bothering to open the door. He pulled off his gloves and tossed them onto the driver's seat then stopped for a moment and listened, a habit honed after many years of guarding against an ambush.

Instead of its usual almost unnatural stillness the house was alive with sound. He smiled as he listened to the shower running in the guest bedroom and the rare sound of pots clanging in the seldom used kitchen. He could hear Caroline and Alaric talking quietly in the basement and Stefan and Elena's footsteps in the courtyard, their weight and tread intimately familiar to him.

Damon walked in the door and headed straight for the cellar. He leaned casually on the doorframe of Alaric's cell as he caught up on Caroline and Alaric's conversation.

"The way I see it," Caroline told Alaric "This alter has access to your knowledge and memories so why shouldn't you have access to his? The door should swing both ways. It's only fair." She turned around and looked at Damon with an air of purposefulness. "We should get Bonnie working on a way to unlock it."

"Sorry to interrupted your surrogate parenting." Damon drawled.

"I'm not qualified…"Alaric protested.

"I didn't mean you." Damon brushed Alaric off. He turned and gave Caroline a mischievous grin. "Car-o-line." He drew out her name in long syllables. "I think you have found your calling in life. Bossing people around."

Caroline punched him in the arm. "I don't!" she protested. Damon rubbed his arm with an amused 'Ow.'

"I'm gonna grab a cold breakfast. Want one?" He asked as he headed into the storage room.

"Leave room for some solid food." Caroline called out.

"What'd I tell you? Parenting." Damon said returning with a blood bag and offering it to Caroline. She took a couple of sips and handed it back to Damon.

"It's just that Matt is cooking breakfast." Caroline explained. "He's really good."

"I can hear it. Sounds like a discordant symphony." Damon grimaced. "Did you warn him not to break anything?"

"No!" Caroline said offended then added sheepishly. "But I did tell him not to burn the house down."

"Control freak." Damon teased her.

"Well somebody had to keep the train on the rails." Caroline justified herself. She turned to Alaric. "Do you need anything? Shower's off. Bonnie should be down any minute to let you out."

"No. You two are entertainment enough." Alaric smiled with wry amusement.

"Thanks for keeping everyone fed and watered and…" Damon glanced at Caroline with a flicker of admiration leaving the rest unsaid.

"How do you know what I've been doing? You haven't exactly been around." Caroline asked.

"I've got ears." Damon said with a grin. "Thanks for taking good care of him." He nodded towards Alaric.

"By the way," He added lightly, looking at Alaric. "That thing we talked about. It works." Intense blue eyes fixed on Alaric's conveying a much deeper message than the lightness of his tone. Alaric looked at him questioningly, then understanding dawned on his features.

"You visited Rebekah?" Alaric asked his eyes widening with shock. "While you were off the vervaine?" Damon nodded on both counts.

"Are you out of your mind?" Alaric yelled.

"Seems to be going around." Damon quipped. "She's done with me or she wouldn't have let me go. She just needed an apology." Damon explained leaving both Alaric and Caroline speechless. He took another sip from the bag, handed it back to Caroline and bounded up the stairs.

As Damon passed the living room the rays of light pushing through the heavy drapes caught his eye. He walked over to the french doors and pulled the drapes back flooding the room with golden sunshine and a kaleidescope of colours as the sun shimmered through the stained glass family crests. He stood for a moment basking in the warmth of the sun's rays on his face.

Bonnie passed the room on her way to the cellar and stopped mesmerized by the unexpectedly reverent image of Damon in the light.

"Your energy's back." She observed when he finally turned away from the window.

"Yep." Damon said with a pleased smile. "Neck's healed too."

"I'm surprised to see you here. Wasn't this where you…" Bonnie began.

"Tried to go out in a blaze of glory?"

"Thought you wouldn't want the reminder." Bonnie said perplexed.

"Wouldn't you want to spend your last minutes on earth in a spectacular place?" Damon asked.

Bonnie looked at him as if she was seeing him for the first time. "Wiser than you look." She said with reluctant admiration. "Let's see the wrists." She walked over and began undoing the dressings. The bleeding had stopped leaving newly formed scars that traced the shape of the steel teeth where they bit into his wrists and tracked into his palms when he had attempted to pull his hands free.

"Healing nicely." Bonnie said holding onto both his hands and tracing the scars lightly with a fingertip. "Sore?"

"Not really. Think you could do your witchy juju thing again?" Damon cajoled her.

"Junkie!" Bonnie mocked him.

"Not afraid to ask for a good thing." Damon gave her a lopsided smile. "So will you?"

"Close your eyes." Bonnie commanded. Damon complied eagerly. They stood hand in hand facing each other, the warmth radiating from Bonnie's hands mingling with the warmth of the sun.

"Wow." Damon whispered when Bonnie finally released her grip. He rubbed his wrists, feeling the smoothness, and not quite believing that they were completely healed. "We should really figure out a way to bottle that."

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "I should go check on Alaric. Glad you're doing better."

"No thanks to you." Damon called out cheekily as she left the room.

Damon walked into the kitchen as the oven door clanged shut. "Sounds like you're tearing the place apart." He said to Matt.

"You should use this place more often. You've got great equipment, but it's meant to be used or it will come apart." Matt told him.

Damon shrugged and looked at the large amount of food laid out on the counters in various stages of preparation. "You don't have to do this." He said. "You're not a servant."

"I've been taking care of the household since I was twelve years old." Matt said. "It's nice to have a household to take care of again. Try this." Matt handed Damon a freshly cooked omelet. Damon took a bite then stopped.

"You're good." Damon said. "So what are you doing bussing tables at the Grill?"

"Helps pay the bills. " Matt shrugged.

"They should put you in the kitchen."

"I don't know." Matt said reluctantly. "I don't have any formal training."

"Make them one of these and they'll hire you on the spot." Damon said breezily. Matt still looked skeptical.

"Oh I get it." Damon drew out the words."You're afraid to ask." He laughed.

"Why are you being such a dick?" Matt asked taking the plate from Damon and tossing it on the counter.

"You just took out Finn and an entire vampire bloodline and you're afraid of the dimwit Grill manager?" Damon stared him down. Matt realized what Damon was saying and began to laugh as well.

"Hard to chuck the highschool kid mentality." Matt admitted.

"You're no kid." Damon said pointedly. "So about this place, your name's on title so you're free to stay here if you want. You can take Zack's room or any of the others in the guest wing.

"What happened to him?" Matt asked.

"Killed him." Damon said in clipped tones.

"Well, I think that settles it." Matt said shaking his head in disbelief.

"Killed my closest living relative. Turned your sister. Won't tell you about the rest. Wasn't a stellar year." Damon said in a flat voice. Matt flinched a little at the mention of Vicky.

"Yet you still did this for us. What gives?" Damon asked.

Matt looked at Damon sadly. "There's enough loss and grief in my life. I can't carry around hate as well."

"Ah, that forgiveness thing." Damon said in understanding, his tone light. "Had a couple encounters with it myself recently. You can take your name off title anytime. Just let us know."

"I'm good." Matt said.

"We should talk about remuneration." Damon said offhandedly.

"Stop. Don't do that!" Matt said suddenly angry.

"What?" Damon questioned.

"Make it about the money." Matt said heatedly. "I didn't do it for the money. Elena said you needed some help, so I helped."

"Just a token of thanks." Damon shrugged casually.

Matt gave Damon a tired look. "So say thank you." He said simply.

"Right. Captain Obvious." Damon drawled. He sat on the counter, reached over and retrieved the omelet and took a couple of bites.

"You know what it's like being on constant watch, listening for every car that might pull in the drive or the crunch of gravel underfoot. Checking that every window is locked but still wondering if you missed one and Klaus or one of his hybrids or some random vamp with his own agenda slid it open. You can handle it for a while, but then you start to lose your mind."

Damon went back to the omelet, taking his time to finish it off. "So, thank you." He finally said his eyes meeting Matt's.

Matt nodded. "Food's about done. Wanna ask Stefan and Elena to come in?"

Damon exited through the kitchen door into the courtyard. In the distance he could see Stefan and Elena walking hand in hand. They were just far enough away that he couldn't quite make out their words, though they didn't seem to be speaking much. They stopped and embraced then continued walking their arms around each other's waists. Damon was about to call out to them but changed his mind and with a wistful expression turned back inside.

Sensing a movement by the house Stefan turned around. Both he and Elena saw Damon at the same moment and in complete unison they spontaneously called out to him.

"Damon!"

Damon turned around, completely surprised to hear his name. Stefan and Elena beckoned to him and hurried over closing the distance between them rapidly.

"You're looking so much better." Elena said happily, placing a gentle hand on Damon's neck. Stefan pulled Damon's hands to him and examined his wrists with a look of loving concern that he reserved only for his brother.

"Breakfast is up." Damon said quietly unexpectedly touched by the spontaneous gestures of affection. Stefan and Elena somehow managed to maneuver him between them each placing an arm around his waist. Together they walked into the living room where the rest of their motley crew of friends was congregated around the coffee table serving breakfast. They were smiling and laughing, sharing dishes, eating off each other's plates and talking over each other. Even Alaric was pulled into the fray, Caroline's encouraging arm over his shoulder.

Damon paused for a moment taking in the scene. Elena and Stefan stopped with him following his cue. Elena smiled at him and Stefan, pleased to see her friends finding some momentary happiness. Damon didn't notice the crumbs on the Persian rugs or the ketchup stain on the settee. All he could see were the smiles of the small circle of people that by some unfathomable miracle he had come to care about and who even more miraculously cared about him. All he could feel was the embrace of the two people who meant more than anything in the world to him. And in that fleeting moment Damon caught a tiny glimpse of what it might be like to be safely and securely home.

THE END.

**A/N Thank you everyone for the encouraging feedback. I really appreciated your reviews and comments. I would love to hear your overall impression now that the story is complete.**

**If you have been following this story and haven't had an opportunity to leave a comment I would really appreciate hearing from you.**

**And to the anonymous reviewers, Vermontgirl61, arosew, Jess, Jessica, Rye, HC,AVT. Thank you for the kind words, suggestions and thought provoking questions. If you ever feel inclined to set up an account feel free to PM me. I would love to thank you personally.**


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